iWorld
How influencing & content creation is changing the lives of people
Mumbai: The power influencing and content creation is having in people’s lives today through digital interaction and communication has undergone a profound transformation. At the forefront of this evolution is the dynamic duo of influencing and content creation, reshaping the way people perceive themselves and the world around them. From social media platforms to streaming services, individuals are not just consumers but active participants in the creation of content, leading to a paradigm shift in the way lives are lived.
One of the most noticeable impacts of influencing and content creation is the democratization of fame. In the past, the path to stardom was often limited to traditional media channels, where a select few had the opportunity to showcase their talents. However, with the rise of platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection can become a content creator. This newfound accessibility has allowed individuals from diverse backgrounds to share their stories, talents, and perspectives, challenging the conventional norms of fame.
Moreover, influencing has emerged as a powerful tool for social change. Influencers, with their vast followings, have the ability to shape opinions and attitudes on a global scale. Whether advocating for environmental sustainability, mental health awareness, or social justice issues, influencers can use their platforms to amplify important messages. This has given rise to a new breed of advocates who leverage their popularity not only for personal gain but also to make a positive impact on society.
The impact of content creation extends beyond fame and societal change, it also plays a significant role in personal development. Many individuals have found a sense of purpose and fulfilment through creating content that resonates with others. Whether it’s sharing personal experiences, providing educational content, or showcasing artistic talents, the act of creation can be an empowering experience. The feedback and engagement from a supportive online community can boost self esteem and encourage individuals to explore and express their unique identities.
However, the rise of influencing and content creation has not been without its challenges. The quest for likes, followers, and viral success has led to concerns about the impact on mental health. The constant comparison with others, the pressure to curate a perfect online persona, and the fear of judgment can take a toll on an individuals wellbeing. It is crucial to strike a balance between online and offline life, recognizing that the curated content shared online is just a snapshot of reality.
In addition to mental health concerns, the monetization of influence has sparked discussions about authenticity and transparency. As influencers collaborate with brands and promote products, there is a growing need for disclosure and ethical practices. Audiences are becoming more discerning, seeking genuine connections with influencers who align with their values. This shift is pushing influencers to be more transparent about sponsored content and endorsements, fostering a healthier and more trustworthy online environment.
As influencing and content creation continues to evolve, it is essential to recognize its multifaceted impact on individuals and society. The power to influence and content creation is like a double edged sword, capable of both empowering and challenging the existing social issues. As we navigate this digital era, it becomes essential to foster a culture of responsible content creation, where authenticity, transparency, and wellbeing take precedence over trends.
In conclusion, influencing and content creation have ushered in a new era where individuals have the ability to shape their narratives and connect with a global audience. The democratization of fame, the potential for societal impact, and the personal development opportunities highlight the transformative power of these digital phenomena. However, it is crucial to address the challenges associated with mental health and authenticity to ensure that the positive impact of influencing and content creation continues to enrich lives in a meaningful way.
The author of this article is Animeta creator Kajal Choudhary.
eNews
How short, addictive story videos quietly colonised the Indian smartphone
A landmark Meta-Ormax study of 2,000 viewers reveals a format that is growing fast, paying slowly and consumed almost entirely in secret
CALIFORNIA, MUMBAI: India has a new entertainment habit, and it arrived without anyone really noticing. Micro dramas, those short, cliffhanger-driven episodic stories built for the smartphone screen, have quietly embedded themselves into the daily routines of millions of Indians, discovered not by design but by algorithmic accident, watched not in living rooms but in bedrooms, on commutes and in the five minutes before sleep.
That, in essence, is the finding of a sweeping new audience study released by Meta and media insights firm Ormax Media at Meta’s inaugural Marketing Summit: Micro-Drama Edition. Titled “Micro Dramas: The India Story” and based on 2,000 personal interviews and 50 depth interviews conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 across 14 states, it is the most comprehensive study of the category in India to date, and its findings are striking.
Sixty-five per cent of viewers discovered micro dramas within the last year. Of those, 89 per cent stumbled upon the format through social media feeds, primarily Instagram and Facebook, without ever searching for it. The algorithm did the heavy lifting. Discovery, as the report puts it bluntly, is algorithm-led, not intent-led.
The typical viewer journey begins with accidental exposure while scrolling, moves through a cliffhanger-driven incompletion hook that makes stopping feel unfinished, and is reinforced by algorithmic repetition until habitual consumption sets in. Only then, when a platform asks for an app download or a payment, does the viewer pause. Trust, not content quality, determines what happens next, and many simply return to the free feed rather than pay. It is a funnel with a wide mouth and a narrow neck.
The numbers on consumption tell their own story. Viewers spend a median of 3.5 hours per week watching micro dramas, spread across seven to eight sessions of roughly 30 minutes each, peaking sharply between 8pm and midnight. Daytime viewing is snackable and low-commitment, squeezed into morning commutes, work breaks and coffee pauses. Night-time is where the format truly lives: private, uninterrupted and, for many viewers, socially invisible. Ninety per cent watch alone, compared to just 43 per cent for long-form OTT content. Half the audience watches during their commute, well above the 37 per cent figure for streaming platforms, a direct reflection of the format’s low time investment advantage.
The audience itself breaks into three segments. Incidental viewers, comprising 39 per cent of the total, are passive consumers who stumble in and rarely seek content actively. Intent-building viewers, the largest group at 43 per cent, are beginning to form habits and seek out episodes but remain cautious. High-intent viewers, just 18 per cent, are the ones who download apps, tolerate ads and occasionally pay: skewing male, younger and urban.
What audiences want from the content is revealing. The top three genres are romance at 72 per cent, family drama at 64 per cent and comedy at 63 per cent, precisely the same top three as Hindi general entertainment television. The format rewards emotional familiarity over complexity. Romance in particular thrives because it demands low cognitive investment, needs no elaborate world-building and plays naturally into the private, pre-sleep viewing window where inhibitions lower and emotional intimacy feels safe.
The most-recalled shows, led by Kuku TV titles such as The Lady Boss Returns, The Billionaire Husband and Kiss My Luck, share a common narrative DNA: rich-poor conflict, hidden identities, power imbalances, melodrama and cliffhangers that make stopping feel physically uncomfortable. Predictability, the research warns, is fatal. Each episode must re-earn attention from scratch.
The terminology question is telling. Despite the industry’s embrace of the phrase “micro drama,” viewers have not adopted it. They call the content “short story videos,” “short dramas,” “reels with stories” or simply “serials.” One respondent from Chennai said bluntly that “micro sounds like a scientific word.” The category is at the stage that OTT occupied in 2019 and podcasts in the same year: widely consumed, poorly named and not yet crystallised in the public imagination.
Platform awareness remains alarmingly thin. Only three platforms, Kuku TV at 78 per cent, Story TV at 46 per cent and Quick TV at 28 per cent, have crossed the 20 per cent awareness threshold. The rest languish in single digits. This creates a trust deficit that directly throttles monetisation: viewers who cannot remember which app they used are hardly primed to enter their payment details.
Yet the appetite is clearly there. Sixty-five per cent of viewers watch only Indian content, drawn by the TV-serial familiarity of the storytelling, the comfort of Hindi as a shared language and the sight of actors they half-recognise from decades of television. South languages are rising fast: Tamil, Telugu and Kannada together account for 24 per cent of first-choice viewing. And AI-generated content, still a novelty, has landed better than expected: 47 per cent of viewers call it creative and unique, with only 6 per cent actively rejecting it.
Shweta Bajpai, director, media and entertainment (India) at Meta, called micro drama “a category that is rewriting the rules of Indian entertainment,” adding that the discovery engine being social distinguishes this wave from previous content formats. Shailesh Kapoor, founder and chief executive of Ormax Media, was characteristically measured: the format, he said, is showing “the early signs of becoming a distinct content category” and, given how closely it aligns with natural mobile behaviour, “has the potential to scale very quickly.”
The format’s fundamental mechanics are working. It enters lives quietly, through boredom and a scrolling thumb, and burrows in through incompletion and habit. The challenge now is monetisation: converting a category of highly engaged but deeply anonymous viewers into paying customers who trust the platform enough to hand over their UPI credentials. The story, as any micro-drama writer knows, is only as good as the next cliffhanger. India’s platforms had better have one ready.
